Description of The Cat Hole Whirlpool

 

The Cat Hole was a deep whirlpool located in a bend of the Greenbrier River, eight miles below Marlinton

.

. It was a notable feature for those familiar with the river, as no pilot's tale was complete without an account of it. The swirling water of the whirlpool would frequently trap logs, rafts, and other debris for weeks at a time. The debris would seemingly get caught in the whirlpool and remain in the middle of the river, moving in a circular motion

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One of the sources recounts the story of a man who was part of a crew on a raft of walnut planks that shipwrecked near the Cat Hole in 1889

 

. Although they were able to get to the island just below the mouth of Beaver Creek, the experience highlighted the dangers of the Cat Hole for those navigating the river

.

Although the sources note that the construction of a railroad had broken up many whirlpools in the Greenbrier River, one source mentions that he was still able to see the Cat Hole after the railroad had been built

.